Pipe joining device



Patente ct. 22, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE JOINING DEVIQE Howard W. J ewell, Los Angeles, Calif, Appnuqn November 80, 1948, serial No. 512,332

' 6 Claims 1 This invention pertains to improvements in methods and devices for` joining- Sections of pipe. The invention is particularly directed to a device for Centering adjacent sections of pipe and holding the same in position While such pipe sections are permanently joined together. Generally stated the device comprises a hollow sleeve having oppositely tapering end sections from a mid zone of greatest perimeter such sleeve being of a composition adapted to lose strength and be removed by liquids passingV through the pipe in which the sleeve is installed.

Pipe lines or conduits for various purposes such as, for example, sewer lines, low pressure water lines, etc., are often made of ceramic pipe. In actual practice it i's' extremely difficult to make ceramic pipe such as burnedlclay or vitrified clay composition pipe of uniform internal or external diameter. Variations in composition of the clay, the moisture content, and temperature and time of burning influences the size of the finishedburnedpipe and as a result clay pipe varies appreciably in diameter. A 4 inch pipe, for example, may depart from this dimension plusor` minus 1/8 inch. Problems are encountered therefor in laying pipe lines made of ceramic pipe Sections in that water tight joints are diiii-` cult to make between adjacent pipe sections because of the variations in the diameter of the abutting pipe Sections.

Moreover it is desired that the pipe Sections be in axial alignment so as to present a smooth internal surface or face to the passage of fluid therethrough. Bell and spigot pipe has been largely displaced in recent years by plain-end pipe since Stronger joints may be obtained by the use of suitable Ceramic collars enclosing the abutting plain end pipe. Since most of these pipe lines are laid upon uneven ground some means must be provided for holding the abutting end's of adjacent pipe Sections in alignment while a joint is formed around such abutting ends. These joints may be made by the use of any suitable cement. In some instances hydraulic cement compositions are simply plastered around the joint; in other instances, due to the character of the liquids which are to be passed through the pipe, 'sulphur-silica cements are employed in asimilar manner. In other instances Ceramic collars or fittings are slipped around the abutting ends of the pipe and suitable cements are then poured into the form made by the collar. In some instance metallic, segmental forms are placed around a joint and filled with cement to bond the adjacent pipe sections together and at the same time Seal forms are often removed after the cement has set so as to permit re-use of' the forms on other joints.V

This invention is directed to a device which facilitates the laying and centering'of adjacent pipe Sections and assures proper 'spacinglbetween the Virtually abutting ends of adjacent pipe sections, The device itself is preferably made of a 'weakly coherent composition adapted to disintegrate under the action of liquids so that a smooth internal bore is presented without any lips or other obstructions to the liquids which needs pass through the pipe line or conduit.

An object of the present invention therefor is to disclose and provide improved methods and means for facilitating the laying of pipe lines.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide means for facilitating the proper placement of pipe Sections in axial alignrnent.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a device for centering adjacent sections of pipe and for temporarily holding the some in position which such pipe Sections are J'oned together.

Further 'objects of the invention as well as the various uses to which the device may be put will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of certain eX- emplaryforms in which the invention is embod-` ied. order to facilitate understanding, references will be had to the appended drawing in which: 4 i

Figure 1 is an axial section through the end f portion ofa pipe provided with one of the devices of the present invention said device being partly broken away.`

Figure 2` is an end shown in Figure 17.

Figure 3 is a sideelevation of a pipe joint made by the use of the device thejoint itself employing a collar. Figura 4 is an'aaial section taken through a modifiedform of centering and holding device.`

The device i-l'lustrated` inrligures 1, 2 and 3 comprises a hoilow sleeve ID having the bore IO' and OPpositely` tapering end portio s from a mid zone of greatest perimter. i

It will be noted that the ,outer surface I'l of the Sleeve tapers downwardly towards the end and outwardly toward a miri-section which is provided` with an outwardly extending circumferential-head |21. The head 12 constitutes aystop which is positioned between the opposit'ely taperingend portions i I` and lit flfhe stop means may elevation of the device the joint; 'such metallicA The sleeve described hereinabove is preferably made of a loosely or weakly coherent composition capable of disintegrating under the action of liquids which will later iiow through the pipe line. The sleeve may be made of a composition including water-reactive or water-soluble constituents. The composition employed should give the sleeve sumcient mechanical strength to withstand handling and to permit the ends of the sleeve to be driven into the ends of pipe Sections;

For example, as shown Figure 1 the sleeve Ill has been inserted into the end portion of the pipe Ill so that the end I of the pipe abuts the stop means E2. The pipe |4 may be a ceramic or clay pipe of an uncertain or'varying internal diameter. The outer'tapering surface 13 facilitates the insertion of the sleeve into the end of the pipe. The weakly coherent nature of the sleeve permits the sleevev to be driven into the end of the pipe M, the material of the sleeve 'being either a'braded, partly crushed or deformed or compressed somewhat in the event the pipe l is below standard size. The adjacent section o-f pipe will then be lslipped upon the tapering surface ll until the end of such section abuts the stop means l2. The sleeve IO will then hold these 4 two abutting pipe Sections in alignment with their ends suitably spaced lby the stop means |2.

`It may be noted that the stop means IZ should not cover the end |5 of the pipe M but simply act as a means for suitably spacing the ends of the abutting pipe sections so as to permit some cement to enter between the adjacent ends of the pipe sections during the cementing or joining operation.

A great variety of compositions may be employed for the centering and holding sleeves. Papier-mach has been used successfully. The sleeves may be molded from gypsum or compositions containing gypsum. The sleeves lc may be e made of unburned clay compositions such as, for

example, compositions containing clay and fibre or elay, gypsum and a water-soluble v''binder. Water-soluble binders may include salt, sugar or molasses, naphthalene, alum and other relatively inexpensive water-soluble substances 'capable of exerting a bonding. effect when dry and of losing such bonding effect in the presence of liquids. Clay moistened with a brine solution may be used in molding the sleeves. Various gums capable of swelling in the presence of moisture so as to disrupt the sleeve may also be employed. All of these compositions should be capable of exhibitingsufficient strength, in the dry state so as to permit the sleeve to be handled in the manner described hereinabove, butto dissolve, disintegrate or disrupt in the presence of liquids so that after the pipe line has been installed these various devices will be washed away and not interfere or offer resistance to the passage of liquid through completed pipe line.

After the end portions of adjacent pipe sections are held in position by the sleeve a suitable cement is appliedto the external surface of the pipe in the region of the joint so as to seal and cement such joint. In Figure 3 the two pipe sections M and M' are shown being held by the thereby obviates breakage during handling, ing' sertion into the pipe end, etc. e

After a pipe line has been laid by the use of the devices shown in Figure 4 a volume of water may 40 be forced through the pipe line and it rWill' be'- sleeve Ill, a, collar or outer' sleeve IG' provided with a pour hole |1 is moved over the joint and a suitable cement or sealing compound is poured into the anmi'lar space between the outer sleeve lt and the outer surface of the pipe through the pour hole ll so as to fill such annular space aswell as the space between the a'butting ends of the adjacent pipe Sections, thereby completely sealing the joint. 'Sleeves of the Character shown in my prior Patent No; 2313,074' may be employed. It will be noted that the device of the present invention prevents the cement or sealing compound from leaking into the pipe through openings or spaces between the end surfaces of the adjacent pipe Sections.

Various changes may be made in the contour, shape'land in the proportions of the sleeves. The oppositely tapering outer surfaces Il and 13 of the sleeves may be provided with dimples, beads or longitudinal extending beads, these various beads or dimples being capable of assisting in the.

centering operation but by reason of 'thefriable or disruptive nature of the composition such beads are easily abraded or broken olf in the:

event the internal diameter of the pipe is smaller' than normal.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification in whic-hthesleeve is provided with outwardly and oplpgisitely` tapering outer surfaces 2| and 23 anda stop j means 22. The end portions of the sleeve may be,

provided with a plurality of ports or apertures li;

and |9. Moreover the sleeve may be provided` with a transverse partition 24; such partition imparts some added strength to the sleeve and break thereby facilitating the destruction and re-V moval of the entire sleeve. partitions ordinarily causes the entire sleeve to crack thus expediting'the rapidV removal o f the entire sleeve by the water passing through the pipe line.

Various changes, modifications and adaptas tions of the method and deviceshere and above O described will readily occur to'those skilled in this art. It is to be understood thatalthough a particular form of joint has been illustratedin Figure 3, the invention is not limited vthereto. As v' previously stated, it is not necessary to employ i 5 the outer sleeve |6 shown in Figure 3 since other ways of 'cementing or sealing the'joints may be used.

All changes and modifications coming thereby;

Sections of substantially uniform insidediamliquid having a beaded and thickened midportion with said bead extending partwaybetweenV andseparating the ends of thepipes'endsphjthe sleeve tapered inwardly from the bead tofa :'posiv tion spaced from the inside wall vof the pipe and adapted to entrap liquid between the sleeve and pipe wall to promotev distintegration of the sleeve, and a layer of sealing cement 'surrounding the ends of the pipe 'adjacent the joint and eXtend-, w

in'g between the abutted ends of the pipe to a found that the various partitio'ns 24 will readily 5 The bursting of the within 1 the scope of the appended` claims are embraced i .eter in axial alignment, a hollow sleeve compriSg-y;l mg a material rapidly disintegrable by. action offI position initially in contact with the bead on the sleeve.

2. A pipe joint comprising two plain end pipe Sections of substantially uniform inside diameter in axial alignment; a hollow sleeve composed of papier-mch disintegrable by action of liquid and having a beaded and thickened mid portion With the bead extending part Way between and separating the end of the pipes; the ends on the sleeve tapering inwardly from the bead to a position spaced from the inside wall of the pipe and adapted to entrap liquid between the sleeve and pipe wall to promote distintegration of the sleeve; and a layer of sealing cement surrounding the ends of the pipe adjacent the joint and extending between the abutted ends of the pipe to a position initially in contact with the bead on the sleeve.

3. A pipe joint of the character stated in claim 1 wherein the hollow sleeve is composed of an unburned clay-containing composition.

4. A device for placing plain end pipe. Sections in axial alignment in making a joint t-herebetween, said device comprising a hollow sleeve composed of a material rapidly disintegrable by the action of liquid, said device having a thickened mid portion provided with an outwardly extending head, said head being adapted to extend between abutting ends of pipe sections in alignment, the ends of the sleeve tapering inwardly from the bead to positions spaced from the inner walls of pipe into which said sleeve ends may extend to permit liquid to enter between the sieeve ends and pipe wall and promote disintegration of the sleeve after it is installed.

5. A device of the Character stated in claim 4 Wherein the hollow sleeve is composed of papiermch.

6. A device of the character stated in claim 4 wherein the hollow sleeve is composed of an unburned clay-containing composition.

HOWARD W. JEWELL. 

